Marketing 360: Why B2B Influence Campaigns Are the Missing Piece

360 Marketing promises coherent, high-impact communication. The idea? Reach the right audience, on the right channel, at the right moment, with a harmonized message.

But as digital behaviors evolve, one reality stands out: a 360° approach can no longer ignore the power of influence campaigns, especially in B2B.

Today, influencer marketing isn’t a passing trend; it’s a core pillar of modern communication strategies. Yet in many organizations it’s still treated as a side tactic, something “extra.” That’s the mistake.

Why are influence campaigns the missing piece of 360 marketing? How do you integrate them intelligently into a global B2B strategy? Below, we explain why B2B influence campaigns deserve a central place in your plan.

What’s In This Post:‍

• 360 Marketing: A Holistic Approach, But Incomplete Without Influence
• Why Traditional 360 Plans Must Include Influence
• Go Beyond “Just Digital” Influence

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For a deeper dive into our recent B2B influence programs and their impact, download our free guide: Influencer Marketing in B2B — The Ultimate Playbook.

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360 Marketing: A Holistic Approach, But Incomplete Without Influence

Designing a 360 marketing plan means embracing an integrated approach that combines multiple channels, advertising, PR, digital marketing, social media, email, and events, to reach your buyer at every touchpoint.

The goal is clear: build a smooth, coherent experience that strengthens awareness, trust, and conversion.

But in a world where people spend more than 2h30 per day on social platforms, leaving out influence creates a gaping hole in that holistic approach.

Once, TV and outdoor dominated awareness. Today, creator recommendations and trusted voices weigh more heavily on decisions, particularly on LinkedIn for B2B.

Influence adds a human dimension to 360. Where classic campaigns broadcast one-way messages, creators speak with their communities. They embody the brand, contextualize the message, and create an authentic, conversational dynamic that traditional channels can’t easily replicate.

Want the strategy overview first? Read our explainer: B2B Influencer Marketing: An Essential Communication Strategy?.
Looking for the execution side? See How to Find a B2B Influencer on LinkedIn and Which Social Platforms Should Your Business Use?.

According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from peers and creators over traditional advertising. Influencers become trust mediators, bringing brands into people’s daily lives with less friction.

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Why Traditional 360 Plans Must Include Influence

Many 360 plans still follow a one-way schema: brand → audience. The result? Communication that feels polished but distant, less authentic, and disconnected.

Integrating influence adds conversation and co-creation. The brand no longer speaks alone, it dialogues through credible voices.

A 360 plan without influence can drive visibility but rarely deep engagement. Influence triggers organic interactions (likes, comments, shares, UGC), powerful signals for algorithms and for brand perception.

Without creator integration, you risk mixed messages: ultra-polished ads on one side and spontaneous user posts on the other. Creator partnerships bridge these worlds with a coherent, embodied narrative. 

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Go Beyond “Just Digital” Influence

Influence campaigns aren’t limited to social feeds. They can support:

• Physical events (trade shows, pop-ups, product launches)
• Cross-media activations (podcasts, videos, live streams)
• Internal programs (employee advocacy, brand ambassadors)

Creators become omnichannel amplifiers: they boost campaign messages, extend experiences on their platforms, and humanize relationships.

Influence pairs especially well with:

• SEO & Content: backlinks, guest posts, long-term visibility
• Social Paid: amplifying top-performing creator content
• Event Marketing: visibility before, during, and after the event
• CRM & Newsletters: weaving in testimonials or creator collaborations

Explore real-world outcomes in our Client Case Studies, and don’t miss the cornerstone resource, our Influencer Marketing in B2B — The Ultimate Playbook

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The Strengths of an Influence Campaign

One of influence’s biggest assets in a 360 setup is measurability. You can track:

• Total reach and organic lift
• Average engagement rate
• ROI
• Traffic to conversion pages
• Even revenue contribution via tracked links or custom codes

Influencer Marketing Hub reports average ROI of $5.20 per $1 spent, versus $2.80 for paid ads. Why? Recommendation drives a more natural purchase intent and stronger recall. 

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How to Plug Influence Into a 360 Plan

Before launching, connect the influence program to your global marketing objectives: awareness, reputation, acquisition, retention.

Examples:

• Awareness → macro-influencer collaborations + multi-platform rollouts
• Engagement → micro-influencers + participatory formats (challenges, UGC)
• Conversion → recurring ambassadors + tracked promo codes

A strong 360 plan aligns messaging across advertising, PR, and influence. Influence shouldn’t be a “creative bubble” off to the side—it’s a narrative layer within your broader storytelling.

Choose channels by audience:

• Instagram / TikTok: visibility and visual aspiration
• LinkedIn: B2B reach, expertise, decision-makers
• YouTube / Twitch: long-form demos and immersive storytelling

The best 360 plans connect these spaces to create synergy between visibility, engagement, and conversion. 

For years, influence was treated as a marginal “creative touch” at the edge of 360 plans. Today, it’s the missing, and often most powerful, piece.

By reconciling authenticity with performance, and emotion with conversion, influence makes 360 truly complete.

Brands that get this already build systems where every message, whether a TV spot or a LinkedIn creator post, tells the same story. In a world saturated with messages, this human, emotional coherence is what cuts through.

At Les Années Folles, we know how to embed influence within a well-oiled 360 marketing strategy.

To see playbooks, benchmarks, and client results, download our Influencer Marketing in B2B — The Ultimate Playbook for free.

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